Our View: Take 911 consolidation to the next level

As a conceptual plan to regionalize 911 services in Bristol County languishes, the town of Dighton has taken the lead, meeting with representatives from Fall River, Seekonk and Rehoboth to explore hosting a regional emergency dispatch hub when the town's new police station opens.

As a conceptual plan to regionalize 911 services in Bristol County languishes, the town of Dighton has taken the lead, meeting with representatives from Fall River, Seekonk and Rehoboth to explore hosting a regional emergency dispatch hub when the town’s new police station opens.

Like other consolidated services that could save communities money through collaboration, the 911 proposal has been studied but has never moved forward. Dighton’s Board of Selectmen is “emphatically in favor of investigating the advantages of (regionalized) 911 services,” according to Selectman Patrick Menges. As a result, the town has taken the lead on pitching that idea to Bristol County communities.

Dighton’s new police station on Somerset Avenue could provide a perfect location for the regional 911 center. With several local communities facing fiscal challenges, this is a concept that could finally get off the ground.

Fall River’s trouble sustaining its public safety services has been a major point of concern and contention. A regional 911 dispatch center could preserve more “on the ground” emergency services, while saving money by sharing the costs of emergency dispatch services with other communities.

The concept of regional 911 consolidation was last studied by the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District in 2010, though there was no specific proposal in mind — and no one taking the lead at that point. As a result, the idea went nowhere.

This time, with Dighton’s new 7,020-square-foot police station expected to be completed in two years, it could provide the perfect impetus to move the plan forward and save taxpayers in these communities money on these services.

If two of the three other communities agree to the concept, SRPEDD would study the issue with this specific proposal in focus. That study would likely take about 18 months to complete.

If SRPEDD can expedite such a study — particularly since it has already studied the concept — all communities involved could have sufficient time to digest the information, and Dighton would know how much equipment to purchase prior to the building’s opening.

Let’s hope that city and town officials in these communities see the potential benefits of this arrangement and seriously explore the opportunity for collaboration. If successful, it could be a springboard for other shared services that can provide taxpayers a better value for their tax dollars than going it alone.